The properties of Electric Field lines

[Ammar SH]

Homework Statement

List the 4 properties and characteristics of electric field lines.

Homework Equations

I was not able to get them all and the ones that I did get I am confused that if it is really a characteristic or a property

The Attempt at a Solution

1. Characteristic: The closer the field lines the greater the intensity (closer field lines have are greater in density)

2. Property: When there is more than 1 source; the electric field strength is the vector sum of both sources ( the electric field strength is a vector quantity so it has a direction).

3. Characteristic: In the presence of a positive charge (inside electric field line), the field lines would radiate straight out (just as a positive test charge would be pushed out).

4. Characteristic: At every point on the electric field line (since the field lines are often curved), the direction of the field is tangent to the line.

5. Property: the electric field strength between two parallel plates is the quotient of voltage over charge(q1 causing the electric field) while the electric field strength near a point charge is the quotient of the electric force over the charge(q1 that is causing the electric field)

thanks for your responses.

 

[WatermelonPig]

Honestly this is probably some arbitrary list you're being asked to make so I wouldn't worry. Properties/characteristics are probably meant to be the same thing. 1 and 3 are probably what are being looked for and maybe 4. Think about circles around a point charge.

 

[Fewmet]

I am not aware of "characteristic" and "property" having clearly defined differences in common usage. I suspect that is a distinction drawn by your textbook or teacher.

This looks like the kind of question that is asking you to reiterate information presented in a previous reading. Can you go back and see if the answers are simply stated in the text or in class notes?

 

[Ammar SH]

yes that is what I did;
My information(list), I gathered from the text;

I guess I will go back again and read it over one more time.

---thanks

 

[rwisz]

Great job on listing some of the properties and characteristics of electric field lines! I would like to add a few more:

1. Characteristic: Electric field lines always originate from a positive charge and terminate on a negative charge. This is because electric field lines represent the direction of the electric force on a positive test charge, which would be attracted to a negative charge and repelled by a positive charge.

2. Property: The number of electric field lines per unit area is proportional to the strength of the electric field. This means that a stronger electric field will have more field lines per unit area, while a weaker electric field will have fewer field lines per unit area.

3. Characteristic: Electric field lines never intersect. This is because the direction of the electric field at any point is uniquely defined, and if two field lines were to intersect, it would imply that the electric field has two different directions at that point.

4. Characteristic: The density of electric field lines is inversely proportional to the distance from the source charge. This means that as you move further away from a source charge, the density of field lines decreases, indicating a weaker electric field.

I hope this helps clarify some of the properties and characteristics of electric field lines. Keep up the good work!